Pick-up and throw-off mechanism for cables



(No Model.)

G. MULLER..

3 Sheets- Sheet 1.

lIGK-UP AND THROW-OFF MEGHANISM POR CABLES.

Patented Deo. 15,'189-1.

/TNESSES A TTOHNEYS (No Model.) i l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. MULLER. l P10K-UP AND THROW-OPP MEGHANISM FOR CABLES.

No. 465,191. Patented Dee. 15, 1,891.

N I 4 E NQ I TNE SSE S Y /N VEN TOH .L v da e sr/mv/@d ATTORNEYS 3sheetssheet s.

(No Model.)

G. MULLER. l PICK-UP AND THROW-UPP MEGHANISM FOR CABLES. No. 465,19I.Patented Deo. 15, 1891,.V

Fly.; 3. `Fg4 Ef. a.

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NVENTOH ATTUHNEYS UNITED STAT-ns ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE MULLER, OF HOBOKEN, NEV JERSEY.

PICK-UP AND THROW-OFF MECHANISIVI FOR CABLES. l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,191, dated December15, 1891.

` l Application filed March 24, 1891. Serial No. 336,212. (No model.)

To all wiz/0m it may concern.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE MULLER, of Hoboken, in the county of Hudsonand State of New Jersey, have invented a new and linproved Pick-Up andThrow-Oft Mechanism for Cables, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

The invention relates to cable roads having a traveling single or doublecable for propelling the cars,.the latter being adapted to be fastenedto the cable by a grip, which may be of any approved construction,preferably, however, of the construction shown and described in LettersPatent of the United States No. 352,255, granted to me November 9,1886.i

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mechanismspecially designed to enable the operator in charge of the car toquickly and conveniently throw off the cable after the latter isreleased by the gripping-jaws, or to pick up this or a second cabletraveling in the same or in a different direction or at a dierent rateof speed, the operator being enabled to place the picked-up cablebetween the gripping-jaws of the grip.

The invention consists of an angular arm or arms, each connected with apivoted guiding-arm, and a link pivotally connected with a sliding bar.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details andcombinations of the same, as will be described hereinafter, and thenpointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partofgthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement as arranged for twocables, one of the cables being held in the grip on the car. Fig. 2 is alike view of the same with the cables thrown oft and the device in theposition for picking up one of the cables. Fig. 3 is a transversesection of the same on the line x of Fig. l; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 arelike views of the device as arranged for a single cable and in differentposition, illustrating the several steps vin picking up or throwing oftthe cable.

The improved pick-up and throw-off mechanism is arranged on thegrip-frame A, supported by suitable beams B, held on the car C. Thegrip-frame A extends downward through spect-ively. As illustrated IinFigs. l, 2, and

3, the channel E contains two cables running in the saine direction, ofwhich one may be an auxiliary cable adapted to be used in case ofaccident to the other cable, or the second cable may be traveling in adifferent direction and at a dilterent rate of speed, so that theoperator in charge of the car is enabled to run the car in differentdirections and at different rates of speed, as desired.

On the gripping-frame A is arranged a suitable grip, which may be singleor double, according to the number of cables in the channel E. It onlyone cable is'used, the grip is single, and if two cables are used a gripis arranged on each side of the frame, so as to grip either of the twocables. The grip may be of any approved construction. I prefer, however,the construction shown, which is identical with the construction of myprevious patent above referred to. This grip consists, principally, of afixed jaw G and a movable jaw G', pivotally connected with two levers G2and G3, carrying the gripping-pulleys G4 and G5, above which arearranged pulleys Gr6 and G2, mounted to turn on fixed spindles securedto the frame A. The upper ends of the levers G2 and Gare connected withthe ends of a chain G8, which passes `first around the pulley G11, heldon a staff G10, arranged on one end of the car C, the chain also passingover a pulley G11, arranged on the opposite end of the car and securedtoa staff G12, as is plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By turning eitherof the staffs G10 or G12 the two levers G2 and G3 are simultaneouslyactuated, so that the gripping-pulleys Gt1 and Gj" are simultaneouslymoved toward or from the fixed pulleys GG and G7, respectively, so as togrip the-respective cable passed between the two pulleys of each set. Atthe same time the le vers G2 and G3 actuate the movable jaw G', so thatfinally the cable is firmly gripped between the two jaws G and G. Inorder to release the cable from the grip, the staff G10 or G12 is turnedin an opposite direction, so as to cause the upper ends ot' the lever G2or G2 to IOO swing away from each other, thereby opening A bar H isarranged longitudinally on the frame A and tted to slide vertically insuitable guideways H', secured on the frame A. The under side of the barH is pivotally connected at or near its ends with the links I and I',extending downward and pivotally connected with angular arms J and J',re-

- spectively,pivotally connected with guidingble when moving rearwardinto position for` arms K and K', respectively, -each ofwhich has itspivot-pin K2 engaged in a vertical slot K3, form-ed in a bearing K4,fastened to t-heframe A. Each of the angular arms J and J' is formed atits lower end with a pulley or guide-wheel J2, adapted to engage thecable F. The vertical slots K3 permitthe pivoted pins K2 a free butlimited up-andfdown .mo-v

tion to prevent binding of the arms K K' and to permit the angular armsJ J' to swing upward on the links I I' in case the pulleys orguide-wheel J2 should strike against the capicking up the cable, as willbe understood by reference to Fig. 5.

In order to hold the links Iandl' in propel' position, pawls L and L'are pivoted on the said links I and vI',` respectively, the said pawlsbeing adapted to travel at their inner ends over the bearings K4, so asto hold the vlinks I I" and the angular arms J J' in the properposition, as illustrated in Fig. 5. A pin L2 on each of the links I andI' permits the upward swinging motion of the respective pawl L or L'.When the bar H is moved suddenly into a lowermost position, (see Fig.6,) the pawls L and L' are liable to swing forward, bu-t are `preventedfrom passing too far by the stop-pins L2.

The bar H is connected with an upwardly` extending rod N, pivotallyconnected by a `link N with an arm O' of the bell-crank lever O, mountedon suitable tracks arranged on one of the beams B. The other arm O2 ofthe bell-crank lever O is connected with the ends of a chain P, which ispassed over a pulley P', held on the staff P2, arranged on one end ofthe car, preferably on the outside of the staff G10, previouslymentioned. 'Ihe stai' P2 is formed with a hand-wheel P3 for convenientlyturning the pulley P so as to actuate the chain P. The latter alsopasses over a pulley P4, arranged on the other end of the car on a staffP5, provided with a hand- Wheelfor conveniently turning the said staff,and pulley P4 to enable the operator to actuate the chain P from thisend of the car.

The operation is as follows: When the cable F is engaged by the grip, asillustrated in vthus been thrown off the car.

Figs. 1 and 3, and the operator desires to throw off the said cable Ffor any purpose, he rst actuates the grip, as above described, torelease the cable from the sets of pulleys G4 G6 and G5 G7 and also fromthe jaws .G and G. The pick-up and throw-off mechanism is at this timein its uppermost position, and as soon as the gripping-pulleys G4 and G5swing downward the cable passes upon the friction rollers or wheels J2on the angular arms J and J The operator now turns the handwheel P3 sothat the arm O2 of the bell-crank lever O swings in the direction of thearrow a', whereby the bar H is caused to slide downward, so that thelinks I and I swing outward, causing the angular arms. J and J' to movethe cable from the fixed jaw G and the pulleys G4 and G5, the cable thenresting only on the rollers J2. By a further movement of the bell-cranklever O in the direction previously mentioned, the bar H slides fartherdownward, so that t-he links I move in the same direction, the pawlsLand L finally engaging with their inner ends the bearings K4. At thistime a further downward motion of J', so that their lower ends, carryingthe friction-rollers J2, swing'rearward and upward,

thereby disengaging the cable, the latter dropping down on the pulleyF2. 'Ihe cable has Now when the operator desires to pickl up4 the cablevagain the rbell-crank lever O is caused to swing into itslowermostposit-ion, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the friction-rollers J2 then beingin the rear of the cable and having theirpivots standing almost in avertical position. The `operator now reverses the movement of thebell-crank lever O, so that the barI-I commences to slide upward,drawing up the links I and I', so that the pawls L L' glide at theirrear ends over the bearings K4, thus permitting the links I and I toassume a nearly-vertical position.

(See Fig. 6.) This movement. of the links I and I' causes the angulararms J and J' to swing, with their frictionfrollers J2, downward andforward and under and to the rear of the cable, as is plainly indicatedin Figs. 2 and6. The angular arms J and J are caused to swingtransversely, and at the same time their pivoted ends are moved up anddown, so as to properly engage the cable and support the same fortransmission to the grip. It is understood that the transverse as wellas the up-and-down movement is controlled by the guiding-arms K K' andthe pawls L L'. If the operator now causes a further movement of thebellcrank lever O in the direction of the arrow c', the cable F islifted upward on the friction-rollers J2 of the angular arms J and Juntil the cable is finally lifted over the pulleys 'G4 and G5 and uponthetop or gripping surfaces of the jaws GG'. The operator now actuatesthe grip again, so as to close the sets of pulleys and the jaws tofirmly grip the cable.

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Should the angular arms J and J, with their friction-rollers, come atany time in contact with any of the cable-supporting pulleys F2 F3, theywill slightly swing inward and upward to a position similar to the oneshown in Fig. 6, thereby easily riding over the supportingpulleyswithout losing their proper position relative to the cable.

It willbe understood that when the operator desires to pick up a secondcable after the first cable has been thrown oft', he actuates thepick-up and throw-off device on the other side of the frame A in thesame direction as above described, the said second mechanism beingactuated from staffs Q, corresponding pulleys Q', and the chainQconnected with the bell-crank lever R of the second device in the samemanner as the chain P is connected with its bell-crank lever O.

It will be seen that this pick-up and throwo mechanism enables thegripman to take up a cable at will whenever desired, and to throw it offat the crossings or at the end of a section of a cable road or at thepowerhouse. It will also be seen that by this arrangement in case ofaccident to the cable, the gripman can throw ott the injured cable andpick up the other vcable in the manner described.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patentl. In a pick-up and throw-off mechanism forcables, the combination, with a bar mounted Ato slide vertically, oflinks pivotally connected with the said bar, and transverselyguidedangular arms pivotally connected with the said links, substantially asshown and described.

2. In a pick-up and throw-oft' mechanism for cables, the combination,with a bar mounted.

`to slide vertically, of links pivotally connected with the said bar,angular armspivot-all y connected with said links, and guidingarmspivotally connected with said angular arms, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a pick-up and throw-off mechanism for cables, the combination,with a bar mounted to slide vertically, and means, substantially asdescribed, for imparting a vertical movement to the said bar, of linkspivotally connected with the said bar, angular arms pivotally connectedwith the said links, each angular arm being provided with africtionpulley to engage the cable, and pivoted guidearms pivotallyconnected with the said angularA arms and having their pivot-pins fittedto slide vertically, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a pick-u p and throw-ott mechanism for cables, the combination,with a bar mounted to slide vertically and means, substantially lasdescribed, for imparting a vertical movement to the said bar, of linkspivotally connected with the said bar, angular arms pivotally connectedwith the said links, each angular arm being provided with afriction-pulley to engage the cable, pivoted guide-arms pivotallyconnected with `the said angular arms and having their pivot-.pinsfitted to slide vertically, and pawls pivoted on the said links an dadapted to engage the bearings carrying the pivot-pins of thesaidguiding-arms, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a pick-up and throw-oft mechanism for lcables, the combination,with a bar mounted to slide vertically and means, substantlally asdescribed, for imparting al vertical movement to the said bar, of linkspivotally connected with the said bar, angular arms pivotally connectedwith the said links, each a`n gular arm being provided with afriction-pulley to engage the cable, pivoted guide-arms pivotallyconnected with the said angular arms and having their pivot-pins fittedto slide vertically, pawls pivoted on the said links and adapted toengage the bearings carrying the pivot-pins of the-saidguiding-arms,

and a stop-pin on each of the said links to limit the movement ofthelsaid pawls, substantially as shown and described."y

6. In a pick-u p and throw-off mechanism'for cables, the combination,with a frame, of a bar fitted to slide on the said frame, linkslvpivotally connected with the said bar, angular arms pivotally connectedwith the said links and each having a friction-roller adapted to engagethe cable, and guiding-arms pivotally connected with the said angulararms and pivoted on the said frame, as shown and described.

' 7. In a pick-up and throw-off mechanism for l cables, thevcombination, with a frame, of a substantially roo bar itted to slide onthe said frame, links pivotally connected with 'the said bar, angulararms pivotally connectedwith the said links and each havin g afriction-roller adapted to engage the cable, guiding-arms pivotallyconnected with the said angular arms and pivoted on the said frame, andbearings seto engage the cable, guiding-arms pivotallyv connected withthe saidangular arms and pivoted on the said frame, bearings secured onthe said frame and having vertical slots engaged by the pivots of thesaid guidingarms, and a pawl pivoted on each of the said A links andadapted to engagewith its free end the bearing for the correspondingguidingarm, substantially as shown and described.

f GEORGE MULLER' Witnesses:

1 THEO. G. HosTER,

EM. CLARK.

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